THE NETHERLANDS
There has been no production of synthetic resins in the Netherlands; but a plant is under construction (October 1937) at Groningen for the manufacture of alkyd resins. The manufacture of surface coating and electrical parts from imported resins is carried on, chiefly by N. V. Philips’ Gloeilampenfabrieken, Afdeeling Inkoop, Eindhaven, manufacturers of radios, filament lamps, and electrical appliances. Efforts are being made to employ resins for other purposes, such as the bonding of plywood and the manufacture of closures and novelties, but little has been accomplished thus far. The relatively high cost of the resins is the principal difficulty. Molding compounds and laminated sheets, rods, and tubes are imported from Germany, Great Britain, Austria, and the United States.
The paint, varnish, and lacquer industry in the Netherlands has been experimenting with synthetic resins for several years. Alkyd resins of the glycerol phthalate type are being used by Dutch paint makers, imported principally from Germany and Austria. In spite of high cost, they have been found to have many advantages, especially better and more uniform quality. The prices of gums and resins in the Netherlands during the latter part of 1936 are shown in table [31].
Table 31.—Prices of gums and resins in the Netherlands, 1936
| Type | Florins per 100 kilos |
|---|---|
| Damar | 37. |
| Congo copal (various qualities) | 12 to 45. |
| Indian copal (various qualities) | 20 to 35. |
| Kauri (various qualities) | 25 to 200. |
| Shellac (various qualities) | 37 to 52. |
| Pine resin (rosin) (various qualities) | 13 to 14. |
| Synthetic resins | 80 to 120. |
The Dutch aviation industry is using tar-acid resins to bond plywood for wing surfacing on Fokker-type wooden planes. The advantages obtained are excellent adhesiveness and resistance to moisture and temperature changes. In this application they have replaced casein.
Germany supplies more than 85 percent of the Netherland imports of synthetic resins, as shown in table [32].
Table 32.—Synthetic resins: Netherland imports by countries, 1931 and 1933-37
| [Pounds] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source | 1931 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 19371 |
| Germany | 1,203,393 | 1,257,568 | 1,207,857 | 1,351,581 | 1,490,310 | 2,449,311 |
| United Kingdom | 8,520 | 47,843 | 64,458 | 94,565 | 335,099 | 1,223,553 |
| Austria | 63,758 | 7,297 | 30,886 | 63,642 | (2) | 132,276 |
| UNITED STATES | 3,168 | 24,193 | 27,434 | 50,888 | (2) | (2) |
| Belgium | 2,640 | 3,923 | 1,514 | (2) | (2) | |
| France | 3,120 | 4,129 | 616 | (2) | (2) | |
| Czechoslovakia | 3,326 | 4,948 | (2) | (2) | ||
| Switzerland | 1,789 | 4,193 | (2) | (2) | ||
| Other countries | 1,450 | 1,027 | 2,629 | 1,573 | 216,051 | 207,232 |
| Total | 1,288,044 | 1,354,112 | 1,337,393 | 1,564,379 | 2,041,460 | 4,012,372 |